Portable planers are used to smooth uneven surfaces on workpieces by shaving high spots from the workpieces until surfaces are essentially planar. To accomplish this result, a rotating blade assembly, located in a planing chamber of a planer housing and carrying blades, is rotated above a work surface. When the blades encounter a high spot, the blades shave small amounts of material from the high spot producing shavings or chips.
The rotation of the blade assembly occurs at a relatively high number of revolutions per minute and acts as a fan creating a stream of air in the planing chamber. An outlet opening is provided in the planer housing which allows the stream of air from the planing chamber to carry chips away from the planer. Fixedly attached on the outside of the planer is a chip deflector which deflects the stream of air and shavings or chips downwardly away from a user of the planer. The shavings and chips then rapidly accumulate upon a floor or the like.
The operation of such a portable planer produces a large volume of shavings or chips. While the original workpiece may be quite compact, shaving thin slices of material from the workpiece produces elongate shavings or chips which are often curled in shaped and fluffy in texture. Consequently, the planing operation creates a large volume of waste material.
There exists a need for a portable planer in which these chips can be directed away the user of the planer, or else, can be redirected so that a vacuum or collecting bag can be readily attached to the portable planar to collect expelled chips. The present invention fulfills this need.